we don't just see it in the nfl. ul george of the pacer got a concussion during a game and came back later and said i'm sorry. i reported it because it then he had to go through the concussion protocol and almost missed a game. i want to thank you guys so much. i really appreciate your time. all right. we're going to take a quick break. when we come back one of the nfl's best players, j.j. watt l lets us in on how he turned heartbreak into happiness. you'll want to stick around for that. >> let's give him a reason to believe. his arm was crazy good. ♪ ♪ ♪ oh-oh, oh, oh, la, la-la, la-la, la-la ♪ ♪ na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na some things just go together, like auto and home insurance. bundle them together at progressive, and you save big on both. ♪ oh, oh-oh, oh, oh hey, it's me! [ whistles ] and there's my dog! [gasps] there's my steps! i should stop talking. perfectly paired savings. now, that's progressive. cozy or cool? "meow" or "woof"? exactly the way you want it ... until boom, it's bedtime! your mattress is a batt

we don't just see it in the nfl. ul george of the pacer got a concussion during a game and came back later and said i'm sorry. i reported it because it then he had to go through the concussion protocol and almost missed a game. i want to thank you guys so much. i really appreciate your time. all right. we're going to take a quick break. when we come back one of the nfl's best players, j.j. watt lets us in on how he turned heartbreak into happiness. you'll want to stick around for that. >> let's give him a reason to believe. and i wanted to show off his arm. his arm was crazy good. ♪ ♪ ♪ i live in a world oi am totally blind.. i've been blind since birth. i lost my sight to eye disease. i lost my sight in afghanistan. and it doesn't hold me back. but my blindness can affect my sleep patterns. i go through periods where it's hard to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. but i learned that my struggle was with non-24. non-24 is a circadian rhythm disorder that affects up to 70% of people who are totally blind an

event. >> reporter: at the core, the nfl draft is a simple exercise. >> the st. louis rams select sam bradford. >> reporter: 30 teams gather to submit choices across a crop of college prospects, but what fun is that? there are no tackles or touchdowns, but the draft become a football spectacle second only to the super bowl.

being in the nfl is tough. so really the work is about to begin in a big way for him. >> it's a production-driven business. and if you cannot perform, it is called nfl for a reason. not for long. so michael sam, even though he is a draft pick, he still has to earn his way on to that team. so yes, he'll have training camp in august and he's going to be fighting for a job and it's most likely going to be on the special teams. the team he's going to is not only a good fit for him professionally, but also geographically, because the university of missouri is only two hours away. so the people in that state are very familiar with michael sam, so he's going to get a lot of support. he's really going to be looking for a job in special teams. so that's where he's got to go forward. get a job on special teams. maybe two or three years later, he can be a starter. >> missouri home for him. it's been home for him. what a great feeling that must be to now be at the home team. >> it's a great story. three big stories this dra

the nfl has not responded. they told us this afternoon they have not had a chance to review the lawsuit just yet and their lawyers are looking at it now, brooke. >> you bring up the culture of playing through injury. i will definitely be asking a former player about the pressure to get up and get back on the field. but here's really the other question. as you mentioned, these players, this is really from the '80s. here we are in 2014, ed. why come forward now? >> well, i think what a lot -- if you read some of the individual stories of each of the players, that were highlighted in this lawsuit, is that they talk about their addiction to these pain medications. and how it has followed them since they've left the playing field. in the case of one player, becoming homeless and having to try to buy these pain medications that he had become addicted to off of the streets, and the financial cost that these -- that these addictions have taken their toll on some of these players. so clearly, these players and these lawy

, but he won't be the first gay player in the nfl. to someone who lived it, next. i always say be the man with the plan but with less energy, moodiness, and a low sex drive, i had to do something. i saw my doctor. a blood test showed it was low testosterone, not age. we talked about axiron the only underarm low t treatment that can restore t levels to normal in about two weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer, worsening prostate symptoms, decreased sperm count, ankle, feet or body swelling, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing while sleeping and blood clots in the

>> there is a meat market culture where the nfl. much pressure, it's inherent in the game. i think that is one of the things that really is underscored in all of this. players play this sport knowing that there are inherent risks. now the question is whether or not you are getting the medical attention that is really fair to the players and the ethics of the people who are treating the players. >> is this a 1970s and '80s problem that is largely addressed? >> it's gotten lot better from the nfl point of view. you hear from different recently retired players some say still a problem, some say they got excellent care. this suit at the very least perhaps will make team doctors wake up and realize we've got to follow the rules. >> sports writer, sean gregory, jarrett bell, steve silverman wish we had more time. please stay with us go we'll be right back. for over 60,000 california foster children, it's a challenge to replace clothes that are too small or worn out. i grew 3 inches last year. i don't need anything fancy. i never had much

physicians society, a group of nfl doctors says he's surprised by the lawsuit. as an nfl team doctor for 14 years, i've seen outstanding medical care that team doctors provide to players on and off the field. as doctors, we put our players first. but richard dent, a player who played 15 seasons and won two super bowls says the nfl needs to be more concerned about the cumulative effects of these drugs. >> treat me like a racehorse and ride me until it's over and shoot me and put me to sleep. that's been the way of doing things. >> reporter: ben bolland covers the new england patriots for the "boston globe." >> bh >> why did this come up now? where was this 10, 15 years snoog ago? >> he's among those questioning motives with this lawsuit among ex players. it's not money who says the hall of famer dent who lives with an enlarged heart. >> i make more money than i was playing. i'm fine there. what is not good is what you know that takes place and this has to change and help guys today and help the guys to come. >> reporter: first, concussion now alleged prescription

the nfl settled a concussion lawsuit for $76 million. that settlement deemed insufficient by players is now being challenged in court. more of the stunning allegations from jeremy coming up. >> it's amazing we are just finding out now the effects of some of these painkiller drugs and used to be kind after joke. shoot 'em up, get them out there at halftime whatever pain you have will go away until the end of the game. then they shoot them up again before they go home. >> i asked jeremy. he said the players that said no wouldn't be around very long. >> it's a business. >> stunning reality. >> yeah. play with pain. >> dennis, thank you for that. >>> kpix 5's brian webb is at the federal courthouse. there's a real good reason why the lawsuit was filed in the building behind you. brian? >> reporter: yeah. this lawsuit could have been filed anywhere but this courthouse is a hot spot for these kinds of cases. call it home field advantage for plaintiffs. the latest lawsuit pits former players against the national football league filed in northern

the nfl draft almost over, when history was made. >> for the 249th pick in the 2014 nfl draft, the st michael sam, defensive end, missouri. >> sam received the news over the phone. the emotion, the weight of the moment nearly too much to handle. surrounded by loved ones, sam, who came out publicly in february, is the nfl's first openly gay player to be drafted. late saturday, sam spoke to nbc affiliate ksdk in st. louis. >> i'm proud to give everything i've got for st. louis. so many people are proud of the st. louis organization, for being the one to make history. >> reporter: at missouri, sam was a southeastern conference defensive player of the year. an all-american standout. but he performed poorly at the nfl combine, where teams view prospective players. sam's stock appeared to drop, while many questioned whether a pro team would select an openly gay player. others wondered how he would match up in the nfl system. >> with michael sam the issue, it's more where does he fit in the nfl. there are questions that there isn't a clear position for him at the nfl level. i think that hurt

in the nfl they said they didn't care. now it proves that they don't care. >> reporter: the 49er general manager reacting. he said he is happy for michael sam but he wishes he had gone into a a different team. not looking forward to playing against him. >>> more details on a move to change the definition of marriage in california. they're working to change the phrasing in the state family code. this comes after the u.s. and state supreme court allowed same sex marriages to resume last year. the curveball code said marriage must be between a man and a woman. it call for using gender neutral terms to pass out with two republicans supporting it. >> there wasn't a definition of marriage. it changes the code to be consistent. a lot of the different codes say husband and wife. this changed it to be spouse. >> reporter: the bill also calls to recognize all same sex marriages performed out of the state. current law only recognizes out of state marriages before 2008. >>> new at 11:00, we are hearing from that chp office here rescued

the nfl responded the intent of the name is to present a strong, positive, and respectful image.at view it differently." senator maria cantwell has been leading the effort to end the use of the redskins' name, she's on the indian affairs committee and is my old boss. good evening. >> hi, ari, how are you? >> i'm good. let's start with this, your last letter about this had about two senators on this, you and republican tom cole, and he called that name they are using there very offensive. this one has 49. are you finding growing momentum here? >> absolutely. this is a historic day, and we're so proud of the members who are willing to stand up and join native americans across the united states, which there are millions of, who do find this racial slur an offensive. so we want to make sure that we keep the momentum building and that we make sure that people understand that the nfl, that the nba took very fast action, and we would hope that they would follow suit. >> and then, senator, i want to get your thoughts on this, several of your republican colleagues asked either they weren'

this is a culture in the nfl. ve had some seasons where i was in a oning boot and crutches, take four or five shots before the game, a handful of pain killers and played the whole season that way. wasn't able to walk into the stadium on my own but after taking drugs to get myself on the field and then i'm back on the crutches after the game. >> they told you about the know cane and the vicodin and you accepted it. they didn't hide is. >> a lot of time is knew what i was changing -- >> did you have a choice? >> we can get you back on the field if we give you this. what the long are term effect? you below re just fine. now i have stage three kidney failure, 35% kidney function, i'm one step away from needing dialysis roar kidney transplant because of the drugs the nfl fed me for years. >> is this still going on? >> still going on. i train young athletes and so i got a lot of friends and a lot of people that are still in the nfl, and first, let me say i love the nfl, sports, but if i didn't speak out and say something

and author of "alone in the trenches, my life as a gay man in the nfl." sam's agent did not want to speculate on this question everyone is asking whether he slipped in the draft because of the publicity around him being gay. what do you think? >> projected to be a fifth round before the public knew he was gay. he did not do well in the combine. so we don't know why, but it's totally plausible, given his overall resume that he would slip. the reason he went, the coach of the rams said he didn't work out well, but he was so good on the field. at least one team wanted him. >> there was some ugliness after the moment he was announced. but to put it in perspective, miami dolphins player don jones tweeted omg, horrible, after seeing the kiss. he then put out an apology statement. i felt like we were running to twitter to search for horrible things people were saying but it was not that much. that seems to be the story so far, not that big deal. >> i know, the big kiss, right? when the rams announced that they picked michael sam, i tell you what, it was such an

i think the nfl is ready, i think the st.tball standpoint and geographical standpoint, only two hours where he went to college at the university of missouri. lot of fans know him very well and support him on and off the football field and from a football standpoint he fits into that defensive scheme just well. he has a lot ahead of him. he has to make the 5 -man roster, not assured to make ma roster. he has to go into training camp. it's going to be a media frenzy. you're talking about everybody from the morning shows to the entertainment programs will be there and it will be interesting to see how they handle the michael sam situation with the media. >> let's talk about this in the context of the broader major four. they thought this perception of -- >> bullying. >> bullying, yes, and i'm looking for the larger term, but bullying as it relates to the miami dolphins, the sterling problem with the nba. is this a panacea for this or is it too early to know? i mean, of not being inclusive. does this help fight off that perceptio

hawkins didn't break into the nfl conventional way. the star wideout for the browns is here with us with an inspirational story. thank you for coming on. great to see you. how does it feel to be with the browns? >> it feels good. it feels good. excited to be here. actually where it all started. getting excited about last year's season and building upon next year. gerri: i was shocked how fast you were. you can move. no wonder they picked you up. i know your story is amazing and you had to leave the country to get into the nfl. you went to the montreal aloe wets. tell us what happened from there and how you managed this trek, this very arduous trek. >> well i went to the cfl, like you said in the canadian football league. coming out of college, i didn't get picked up. and one thing led to another. i was able to get to canada and parlay that into an opportunity in the nfl. gerri: you went to cincinnati, right? >> uh-huh. gerri: but you also as i understand it, you had a hard time with the nfl lockout. what happened there? >> well, i signe

that's common place in the nfl. e's many times when the trainers, the doctors would tell the player it's a sprain, and they'll continue to play on it for many, many weeks only to discover many weeks later after the season perhaps and then you'll have surgery and say it's broken or you tore a ligament. the powerful drugs that are given out are numerous. first and foremost, the most recent drug of choice is toridal. z-pac. halls yon. we could go on. these drugs were given out in cocktail form where they were stacked or given out randomly, given out by the trainers, given out by doctors. no warnings whatsoever. no record keeping. he said as player you get all of these drugs for free over the years of your career, and then suddenly you're released, and the free supply stops overnight. many players are addicted and turn to street dealers for the drugs formerly provided by the nfl. this then leads to other problems, such as cocaine or heroin use, bankruptcy, and prison. in your experience and players that you have known ov

. >>> well, history was made on the final day of the nfl draft. an openly gay player has been selected. >> reporter: on the last day and in the last round of the nfl draft, the league made history. >> for the 249th pick in the 2014 draft. the saint louis rams select michael sam. >> reporter: michael sam is the first openly gay player to be drafted in the nfl. watching from san diego, the six foot two 260-pound all american broke down after learning he was selected. he announced in february he was gay. number 52 was a pass rushing power house in missouri. he will now get to play just a couple of hours away in saint louis for the rams and head coach jeff fisher. >> in a world of diversity we are in now, i'm honored to be a part of this and excited about his opportunity. >> reporter: sam tweeted this picture thanking the rams and the city of saint louis. sam has to earn a spot in training camp. it's the latest hurdle for sam who has overcome so much. >> the openly gay player in the nba jason cool collins called it a great day in the nfl and for sam. >

we needed the nfl to be able to stand up. ourse of the next several months and next several years i think more doors will open up. i remember when he willen came out on television. folks said her career was over and they said that nothing new was going to happen for her. we just saw her hosting the oscars. change is coming but it takes brave people. it takes our culture to change. all of this sort of policy change that we're seeing in the lgbt right space is a result of the culture change, the result of people telling their stories and the result of folks like michael sam who are brave and stand up. >> jason, i want to read something. i guess my question is, is the nfl ready for an openly gay player. this was from "sports illustrated." someone said, "i don't think football is ready for an openly gay player just yet. in the coming decade or two it is going to be acceptable but at this point in time it is still a man's man's game. to call somebody a gay slur is so common place, it would chemically imbalance an nfl locker room an

. >>> some serious charges levied against the nfl. the stunning accusations in a lawsuit just filed by former players here in san francisco. good afternoon, everyone. i'm frank mallicoat. michelle griego is on assignment. and we begin this noon with some breaking news. retired nfl players accusing the league now of illegally giving them painkillers and other drugs to numb their injuries. kpix 5's dennis o'donnell spoke with one of the players who says the nfl needs to change. >> reporter: frank, we saw this happening at 9:00 this morning when the suit was filed. jeremy newberry played almost 200 games in his nfl career. he took tore doll insections for the majority of those games. now he is paying the price. he thinks the nfl should too. >> i'm 38 years old and i got 30% kidney function. if my kidneys get any worse, i'll be on dialysis or a transplant. >> reporter: in the suit filed in san francisco federal court, jeremy newberry, richard dent, jim mcmahon, and others claim that the nfl has intentionally recklessly and negligently deve

the name is not used by the team or the nfl in any other context. we respect those who view it differently, end quote. bringing in democratic congresswoman eleanor holmes norton, and spokesman who wants to change the name campaign started by raharahalbritter. and so in virginia where the team's headquarters is at, according to what they are saying did not sign that letter, so when you look at that, how does that letter help in your effort in addition to the fact that it is not bipartisan, and it is all democratic senators who have signed this? >> well, there is a bipartisan s support. there are other representatives on the other sidef of the aisle, but this is a question of which side people stand on and which side the nfl stand on. there is no gray area in this name, and it is a dictionary-defined racial slur and so the nfl being a powerful and wealthy enterprise certainly has a responsibility, and especially in our time, and especially the washington team, because the city is full of symbols of the history and the count country, and the nfl is one

the nfl agreed to pay more than $760 million to settle concussion claims brought against it by formeryers. that settlement still awaits a judge's approval. is it enough to change the pattern and behavior of athletes, parents, and coaches? what's needed, the president says, is a shift in attitude towards concussions. >> we have to change a culture that says you suck it up. identifying a concussion, and being able to self diagnose that this is something that i need to take care of doesn't make you weak. it means you're strong. >> neil, this is obviously a big white house push with that why did the president have to get involved? >> i think that thanks to the nfl suit, there's been a lot of awareness about concussions, first boxing, hockey and now football. a lot of football players look to the end of their careers and saw themselves with boxers with all the issues that they have. in fact, just as many concussions happening to girls in high school playing soccer, softball, boys playing soccer, lacrosse is involved. i think the president is looking for a comprehensive approach so we're no

draft day for the nfl. m is poised to become the first openly gay player to be selected. >>> first, here's what you need to know about today's draft by the numbers. passenger: road trip buddy. let's put some music on. woman: welcome to learning spanish in the car. passenger: you've got to be kidding me. driver: this is good. woman: vamanos. driver & passenger: vamanos. woman: gracias. driver & passenger: gracias. passenger: trece horas en el carro sin parar y no traes musica. driver: mira entra y comprame unas papitas. vo: get up to 795 miles per tank in the tdi clean diesel. the volkswagen passat. recipient of the j.d. power appeal award, two years in a row. i got this. [thinking] is it that time? the son picks up the check? [thinking] i'm still working. he's retired. i hope he's saving. i hope he saved enough. who matters most to you says the most about you. at massmutual we're owned by our policyowners, and they matter most to us. whether you're just starting your 401(k) or you are ready for retirement, w

he's learning, he's getting a call. 1% of college athletes make it to the nfl. he's willing to celebrate that accomplishment openly, with the person he cares about the most. that's why this is historic. in the nfl draft, we don't see this, a man celebrating and casing and embracing another man. it doesn't happen. we see men kissing their spouses, girlfriends, mothers. that moment that you just saw is a moment that will talked about and discussed and will be a turning point moving forward. >> the thing about his story, he comes from a tough background. he has two brothers in prison, a brother who died from violence. >> from a big family, first of all, eight brothers and sisters, single mother raised them. two brothers incarcerated, three other siblings are dead. he lived in his car, moved in with friends during his high school days. he's the first person in his family to go to college. he joins the 1% of college athletes that make it to the professional ranks. certainly a great story, a lot of adversity. for him, when he takes on that first press conference as a s

he collapses the corner around the edge with ease. but what a lot of nflwhat? what could he hate about "finding nemo"? >> i know. seth, they found nemo. >> seth: he didn't like that part? >> no, no. >> seth: who's next? >> we have greg robinson, >> we have greg robinson, >> seth: okay. >> he's an offensive tackle from auburn. first team all-sec. he's got excellent reach, block ability, athletic and vertical sets. but unfortunately he suffers from chomp-ophobia or, what is known as a fear of alligators. >> seth: oh. so if at any point in his nfl career an alligator gets loose on the field. >> you can not count on greg to protect the quarterback. he'll be running the other way, screaming. screaming. >> seth: who's up? last one. >> yeah, last one. jake matthews, probably the best offensive tackle in the draft. he's also out of texas a&m. the guys' quick, active hands. he's quick to adjust to the blitz, but -- and this could knock him down to the second round or maybe out of the draft entirely altogether, seth. he wears socks with sandals. [ laughter ] >> seth

this is the second major lawsuit against the nfl. ague agreed to pay $760 million for settlement. >>: and i've been digging about this position am for a long time a lot of material of the club box and we had a loss. --- thoughts. at a fellow in my heart we wanna get to that point and i felt here. >>: the order and stop more coming up the next hour. hey there. did you select these things on purpose? not a color found nature. there's nothing wrong with tha. i can hear your arteries clogging. ok. no. this is tap water. i can't let you buy this. oh. crystal geyser please. crystal geyser. bottled at the mountain source. female narrator: through monday, get 36 months through monday, get 36 months interest-free financing and save up to $400 on beautyrest and posturepedic. even get three years interest-free financing on serta icomfort and tempur-pedic, but this special financing offer ends memorial day at sleep train. surprise!lcome back. crystal geyser alpine spring water. crystal geyser. crystal geyser. news flash, it's bottled at the sourc

the lawsuit. >> there are four lawsuits against nfl teams. e raiders are being sued along with the bangles and the buffalo bills in new york and now the new york jets. all of them have the same outline which is that the women are only paid for their appearances on the field during games and an occasional outside appearance. they are not paid for all of they hours they spend practicing and going to fan days, photo shoots and other activities. >> some of these activities i understand there are events where future or want to be cheerleaders are in attendance. the cheerleaders are supposed to be there so someone is making money while the cheerleaders are not. >> that is right. the raiders have two days where they have junior cheerleaders go on the field. so these kids come the day before and they are taught all of the routines, or those that younger children can master. the parents pay for the program and the cheerleaders do not get paid at all. the raiders are pocketing that money. >> what kind of response have you had from any of the teams were

this was the seventh round of the nfl draft. hour from now, so not at the very, very bottom of this draft situation but let's go back to our panel and get a reaction first to margaret hoover. what do you think? >> you and i were right here on the set and we put our hands up. i put my hands up. i won't speak for you. very excited and enthusiastic. i think a good day against the backdrop what happened to the nba recently and good news for the nfl but the point is here that he was drafted because he is an excellent football player. he was s.e.c. defensive player of the year. he would have been the only one not to have been drafted actually in history, got in the seventh round. the anticipation was probably very high but great for michael sam because he is an excellent player and also be a ground breaking moment for the nfl and a ground breaking season. >> he said he wanted to be treated as an nfl player, as a football player and judged as a football player and not a gay athlete and not why he wanted to be drafted. lz, what is your

more than 500 former players sued the nfl. s and trainers ignore the safety risks to load them up with drugs? >> a traffic stop leads t sudden death in paradise. the video a family claims expose as police coverup. >> plus the new $60 million high school football stadium that no one can use. >> but we begin this morning with a look at today's "eye opener," your world in 90 seconds. >> players were shot up like cattle, brought to market and then discarded like pieces of meat. >> the nfl accused of putting profitef

the nfl sunday ticket package ends this year. at&t will call off the merger if this is not renewed. christina, you and i might not watch a lot of football, but let's get this in perspective, how important is this deal? >> it is very important. there are 2 million subscribers, paying anywhere from $240 to $330 a piece -- for the service that lets you watch out of market games on sunday. what this means for the top line is the revenue generated is around 660 million -- based on the numbers that we have. but they do not officially break those numbers out. because powerful consumers are willing to spend $1000 to get their football. is, whyuestion really did they not just wait until the deal was done? >> not only this, but leverage is actually on the side of the nfl now, because they can say, we can charge whatever we want, you need us to get the deal done. this was a bit of a head scratcher. but direct has been going for months -- they had talks with the nfl, moving forward at a pace that is positive, and we saw the nfl commissioner say the same thing. it seems like the expiration is at

the 2014 nfl draft takes place in new york city. re meeting at radio city music hall to select newly eligible players. >>> on this day in 1984, the soviet union announced it would boycott the upcoming summer olympic games in los angeles. >> the soviet announcement caused the white house and visiting olympic officials by surprise. they discussed what if anything could be done to reverse the decision which they called retaliation for 1980 when the united states boycotted the moscow olympics. >> it appears we're paying the price for 1980. again, the ones that are hurt are the athletes. and on this thursday, happy birthday to singer even en reokr enrique iglesias, 39. don rickles turns 88. i'm melissa >>> well, good morning, everyone. 4:30 in the morning, i'm scott mcgrew. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. let's say good morning to meteorologist christina loren. >> good morning and so close to the weekend for you. we have showers on the radar this morning. we told you they were coming in and they have arrived right on time. now, for the most p

>> pelley: tonight, they say they were drugged by the nfl. former players sue the league, claiming it illegally gave them pain killers to mask serious injuries. >> they would hand them out like candy. i mean, they would hand them out freely. >> pelley: jim axelrod is covering. jeff glor reports that g.m. is recalling millions under vehicles to fix everything from seat belts to transmissions. credit suisse will pay a record fine for helping u.s. citizens evade taxes, but bob orr tells us the tax dodgers aren't being penalized, and we may never know who they are. and michelle miller on how adding the arts to the three rs is turning troubled schools around. >> ♪ what a wonderful world captioning sponsored by cbs >> pelley: good evening. this is our western edition. retired pro football players are again accusing the nfl of putting profits ahead of their health. more than 500 joined a lawsuit against the league today, claiming it illegally supplied them with pain-killing narcotics so they could continue to play, despite injuries. some say they wer

the nfl st. louis rams made sam the league's first openly gay player picking him with the 249th pick of yesterday's draft. he was the all-american at the university of missouri and now stating in state as a pro. >> i'm proud to give everything i got for st. louis. so many people are proud of st. louis organization for being the one to make history. michael sam revealed his sexuality to his college teammates last fall and went public in february. shortly after, he was drafted sam tweeted this photo with him wearing a new rams cap and looking pretty happy right now. >> let's talk about michael sam with commentators. nice to see you guys. so, mark, lots of talk certainly in the last 24 hours about this. even the president has you saw congratulating him. what kind of reaction will he receive practicing with the team and after that assuming he makes it? >> first of all, i think he'll make the team. i think he'll get a warm welcom from his teammates. i think that we would be naive if we were to assume t

i will remind everybody, this is the 30 most valuable nfl franchise. eighth most valuable franchise in the world, the washington redskins. >> on the contrary, i think dan snyder is farther from changing the name of this team. and he has the support of roger goodell, the commissioner. dan snyder came out and said he was creating this foundation and going to give this money to native-american groups. he said our fans overwhelmingly support the team. he cited polls, one of them was ten years old. he found a poll, yes. but he's not going to change the name, as long as dan snyder is owner of the washington redskins, they will be the washington redskins. and as long as he has the support of the league, he has no problem. if roger goodell finally went to him and said, listen, this is bad for the nfl, this is bad for the city, we've got to do something about this. there might be some change there, but those two guys are in lockstep and it's not going to change. >> they just need to get harry reid to stop calling them racists. >> they're not listening to harry r

that the nfl would take the same action. i'm confident that the players association the players would be up in arms and they would do the same thing that the nba did. that's my take on it based on my 30 years of experience in dealing with the players from the nfl, the owners, and the executives of the nfl teams and also the union. the nfl pa would never stand for that. >> i think it is very similar. you're looking at two different issues. you know, what happened with donald sterling is so far outside the box. as an owner of the team and the things that he said, it's clear that it has to be dealt with in a different situation. if you want to see how the nfl might respond you have to look at the new orleans saints and see with the bullying scandal that they were very swift in their action. but that's not even close to what happened. if the nfl had an owner like that you would probably see the same thing happen in the nba. >> so drew, let's talk about another incident. riley cooper was caught on tape and used the n word at a co

in it former players allege the nfl gave them dangerous drugs to return to the field. the suit claims the nfl did not have prescriptions and did not warn players about side effects. players are suing including jim mcman and jimmy newberry. >> jeremy newberry said it was the same everywhere he went. he said drugs were a ritual before every game. >> you walk in, bend over the table, they stick you and you're off. they get everybody done in two or three minutes. >> he said the powerful antiimflap toir drug made him able to play. >> i was on crutches, didn't practice all way and took it and played. >> newberry said the team would do anything. >> they shot me up in my leg, gave me vicotin at halftime and played the whole season that way. >> he said it damaged his kidneys and his blood pressure was high. he said he was given a clean bill of health by team doctors. >> it was getting worse and worse every year. nobody said nothing, even when i retired and walked away nobody said anything. >> jeremy said the problem exists at every team in the drug. >> everything is doing the s

the lawsuit paints nfl locker rooms as illegal pharmacies. more now from our sports director dennis o'donnell who broke the story yesterday on kpix.com. >> reporter: jeremy newberry played for the 49ers for nine years. he also worked for kpix 5 as a football analyst. he told me he suffers from renal failure, high blood pressure, and violent headaches because of all the pain medications team doctors and the trainers gave him to get him on the field. >> some games, i'm taking two or three vicodin before the game, two or three vicodin halftime, a shot of toradol before the game and they are getting both shoulders, hands, shot up before the game. >> reporter: the lawsuit alleges the nfl has illegally and unethically substituted pain medications for proper healthcare to keep the nfl tsunami of dollars flowing. >> our players were shot up like cattle. they were brought to market and then discarded like pieces of meat. >> reporter: the league has a ban on the use of painkillers without a prescription. but there is no clear policy or oversight of how

one of the first black players to join the nfl. tonight, questions about whether the league is still willing to open doors have been answered. >> the nfl has been, in many ways, the last bastion of male supremacy. so this is going to drag the nfl into the 21st century. i think it's about time. >> reporter: the president released the statement congratulating sam, the rams, and the league. on this historic moment. he called it an important step forward in our nation's history. >> mara, thank you. >>> we turn next to virginia, where the search for the victims of the horrific hot air balloon accident has finally come to a close. just as we now hear from eyewitnesses what they heard as the balloon shot further up in the sky. susan saulny in virginia again tonight. >> reporter: the desperate search for the last missing victim of a hot air balloon ride gone terribly wrong, coming to a somber end today. when they found the body of the third aboard the ill-fated flight that burst into flames after striking live wires friday evening at the mi

this will drag the nfl into the 21st century.about time. >> the president congratulated sam, the rams and league on this historic moment calling it an important step forward in our nation's journey. abc news, new york. >> congrats to him. certainly a landmark thing but he has no guarantee to make the team. seventh round picks are never really locks to make the final roster. by no means is he assured a spot on the rams just by being drafted. >> he may not be a starter, he may be competing for a spot on special teams. there's a lot that is still to come before he can say he's actually a ram. also, she didn't get into it in the piece there, but a lot of negative comments on youtube, twitter, after this kiss was televised. >> yep. anyway, big landmark day for the nfl. congrats to him. >>> coming up, a mother who quite literally took a leap of faith. she jumped three stories from her burning apartment building to save herself and her baby. >>> and ahead in our next half hour, a rare set of twins born in ohio but what they were doing w

also this weekend was the nfl draft. did anyone here watch the nfl draft?e ] i -- growing up, i would say when i was about 10 years old, it became a tradition to me that i had to watch the nfl draft, at least until my beloved pittsburgh steelers drafted their player. and it used to be very frustrating to my parents because we would often be on spring break. we'd be on vacation somewhere warm, say florida, and it would be the day of the nfl draft and they would all -- my whole family would go out to the beach and i would sit in the hotel room watching espn like a loser. like a full loser. but it's great because you watch the nfl draft. there's only one reason as a fan to watch it, which is like, hope. you hope that your team will get better, you don't know. but it's something that i think that idea is why people tune in. i think that's why fans tune in every year. this year, however, was a historic nfl draft. i don't know if you followed the saga of michael sam. michael sam is a football player -- [ cheers and applause ] yep, give it up for michael sam. the

these guys are the future stars of the nfl. let me introduce them to you right now. e for "tonight show meet the players: nfl draft edition." [ cheers and applause ] ♪ meet the players meet the players meet the players meet the players ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: let's meet our first player. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> sammy watkins, wide receiver, clemson. >> jimmy: sammy's such a good receiver. he can even catch a pass from tim tebow. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> greg robinson, offensive tackle, auburn. [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: greg doesn't let anyone get through, which has earned him the nickname "the obamacare website." good to see you. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> eric ebron, tight end, north carolina. and make sure y'all follow me on twitter @ebron85. [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: eric is a better tight end than kim kardashian in spanx. thank you, buddy. ♪ [ cheers and applause ] teddy? take your time, teddy. [ laughter ] >> teddy bridgewater, quarterback, louisville. >> jimmy: teddy bridgewater. teddy bridgewater has already made history.

now he is making history in the nfl. reporting live in san francisco, i'm cheryl hurd, nbc bay area news. >>> an officer-involved shooting in the east bay ended with at least one man injured and another under arrest. alameda county deputies say it started with a robbery at a 7-eleven store in san leandro this morning. according to deputies, they attempted to stop two suspects at the scene when one man reached into his waist band and that's when a deputy opened fire. deputies say the other man took off in his car. he crashed his vehicle near highway 92 after a high-speed chase. >> we did confirm that the store had been robbed. we recovered the money on one of the suspects. and the clerk was smacked around a little bit by the suspects during the commission of this robbery. >> deputies say they haven't found the suspects' gun yet at the crime scene or in the getaway car. >>> well, there was some gusty winds throughout the bay area today. here's a live look at san jose, it's gorgeous out there. rob mayeda joins us. look at th

senate is pushing pressure on the nfl to endorse a name change for the washington redskins, calling thenchise's name a racial slur. ♪ ♪ >>> thailand has been taken over by the military. a curfew has come in to effect. no one can leave their homes between 10:00 in the evening and 5:00 in the morning. the military has suspended the contusion, and it's banned gatherings of more than five people. also ordered the acting prime minister and his government to report to an army base. veronica pa drough pedrosa is i. >> reporter: and with that announcement, thailand came under military rule of the chief of the armed forces and his comrades in uniform have taken overall functions of government. a full reversal of what he had said when he announced marshall law two days earlier. all radio and television stations have been ordered to only broadcast army material. they are playing cold war martial anthems. citizens have one order today taye in their homes a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. >> i think it's very stupid. >> reporter: why? >> making people crazy and nothing. and they will fight again

now this is the second high profile case against the nfl. you may recall last year the league settled a case that claimed the nfl concealed the risk of concussions from players. that case was settled for $765 million. so despite a great play-off and the league's draft lottery, the dark cloud of donald sterling continues to overshadow the nba. the "l.a. times" has obtained a 30-page document listing allegations the league will use to try to remove sterng ve ster owner. they accuse him of destroying evidence and providing false and misleading information. sterling and his wife are not estranged and according to the report, the woman at the center of the controversy, was asked by sterling to lie to the nba saying it wasn't his voice on the recordings. now the commissioner adam silver couldn't avoid the controversy while speaking with reporters saying he is beyond angry over sterling's racist remarks. >> i know we're doing the right thing here. this is an unprecedented proceeding. will there be bumps in the road? presumably yes. mr. sterling, on

blessed is good to be the nfl. arly, you get a lot of dudley, --eir is qwest clearly, you get a lot of leverage. >> does directly -- directv get to renew the package? >> yes. ke$hanly, it is the nfl leverage. maybe they will increase dollars there are other clauses and they want to get out in the marketplace sooner to take advantage of the top television. that this has been a package, the linchpin of driving growth in directv. it has been an exclusive package. the feeling in the marketplace is this maybe the last exclusive deal they do. going forward, they may want to offer the back edge up to netflix and apple. qwest so it would be streamed at the same time? >> correct. dollars are there. is that band was going to be there? road, onears down the of the things that might be adjusted going forward is the length of the deal were the nfl can go back in the marketplace where they can see opportunities. how much do you think the nfl sunday ticket was worth, valued as part of the $48,000 deal? >> is around $1 billion a ye

the players say the nfl supplied them with drugs illegally to conceal injuries and that allegedly led to long term medical and substance abuse problems. nbc's ron not has more. >> reporter: the lawsuit agos that the nfl game players drugs to mask some serious injuries they were not told about all in an effort to keep them on the field and the money rolling in. baltimore attorney steve silverman filed the suit in u.s. district court in san francisco. >> so what you have in the envelope sn envelonfl is a bunch of anest sized gladiators out there going out there every wook and the nfl is putting profit before players. >> eight former players including jim mcman of the chicago bears are named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. nearly 600 ex-players signed on in support. mcmahon says in the lawsuit he played with the broken neck and ankle during his career without being told by team doctors and trainers. instead, getting painkillers and sent back into games later becoming adigted. the lawsuit said the drugs were administered to players without prescriptions. >> roger, do you have any comment on

and thursday night, the much-anticipated nfl draft. one's surprise, the number one pick is that guy. jadeveon clowney out of south carolina. but then, things got a little, well, strange. blake bortels out of central florida, he goes three overall to jacksonville. what about johnny manziel? johnny football. he falls all the way to 22. but he's going to cleveland. he's going to be a part of lake erie. >> johnny brown. >> yes. >> he's excited about it. >>> to the nba, game two. heat/nets. lebron james, 22 points in this game. he scored the final eight points of the first half to pull the heat within one. and then, in the fourth, miami would outscore brooklyn 25-15. they had a possession where they had three offensive rebounds. and james would finish it off with this fadeaway. 2-0, the heat on top of the nets. spurs also with a 2-0 games lead on portland. >>> a reminder, rounds two and three of the nfl draft, radio city, are on friday night. >> jonathan coachman. chris hassle. good morning, america. >> guys, thanks. >>> up next in "the pul